Well finally we're up and running and expectant for another Winter Dulcimer Fest. We have great folks joining us this year - Lois Hornbostle and Ehukai Teves! Karen Ashbrook and Paul Oorts!! These folks are dynamic and fun and will provide us with a great concert n Saturday night. They'll be joined by our Master Faculty members, Matt Dickerson and Rob Brereton.

The classes this year are, we think, exciting and dynamic with varied offerings to asist you in enjoying your instrument more and moving to a higher level of play. We have added TWO Non-Dulcimer classes; one each for Ukulele (Ehukai) & Native Amerivan Flute (Marsha Harris!). Many folks have asked for these so here they are. We hope to do more of this in the future.

As always the East Stroudsburg United Methodist Church is highly supportive and the Kitchehn crew is looking forward to preparing Saturday lunch for us. Each year it seems to just get better!

We look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones - see you soon!

12 Annual Pocono Winter Dulcimer Fest!!!Mood: a-okNow Playing: Braggin' on the folks who made it all happen!Topic: WDF 2014

It’s been a week since the 12th Annual Pocono Dulcimer Fest occurred… a short but cold and snowy one here in Pennsylvania.As I reflect on the festival I am awed with gratitude for all the work and dedication so many put into it to make it happen.

We had about 6o folks arrive for the Friday night jam led by Aaron & Dan.

We had 145 paid registrants for the workshops on Saturday with 18 faculty, 6 vendors and sorted volunteers.

We had over 200 in attendance for the concert Saturday night with several folks coming from the community.

The staff and volunteers at the East Stroudsburg United Methodist Church were simple awesome and the UMC Kitchen crew did a remarkable job for our meals (breakfast and lunch).We also had great support from Jon Strack on sound (who also took the beginning HD classes) and Andy Waddell for facility support.These guys were very helpful.And the PDC Members and supporters who worked tirelessly to set up all the classrooms, vendor area and fellowship hall on Friday night and then break it all down again Saturday night so the church could function in its normal capacity on Sunday …well that was amazing and inspiring and appreciated so much.Bob Mallalieu also handled the parking situation well and we had very few (if any) glitches there.And Carol and Kate did a terrific job with the registration.

The workshops were well attended and folks appeared to be very pleased overall with their classes and the folks that taught them.As featured faculty and performers Dan Landrum and Aaron O’Rourke were simply terrific.So all in all we had a great and very successful festival.

Thanks for letting me brag a bit about this year’s festival… it was a good one!

To Jam or not to Jam... is that a question??!Mood: coolNow Playing: Revisiting this today...Topic: JammingFor the past several years I've been able to jam with some very diverse groups of musicians (although I am personally partial to old time jams). Often when I suggest folks come to a jam I get responses like, "I'm not a good enough player," or, "I don't really know tunes, I'd be embarrassed," or, "They play too fast for me." Now I must admit that the first jam I went to as a dulcimer player I ended up playing my guitar most of the time because I was uncomfortable. However once I let go of my pride - yes, I said pride - and played I found that I was putting into practice things I was learning and I was also really learning rhythm, something I had been a little weak in. As I went to jams, mostly dulcimer related early on, I began to pick up some of the tunes folks were playing and I met a lot of neat people too.

In 2005 I started attending an old time jam in Bethlehem and was the only mountain dulcimer there (typically still am). They played pretty much up to speed and a lot of tunes I didn't know but I hung on the side, played the chords a little and listened a lot. As I went each month I started to pick up the tunes and after a while got to know them... it was a revelation because my playing was also improving and I was feeling much more comfortable with the instrument. I was amazed!! I began to find and join the jams at festivals and heard and played lots of others stuff, besides old time tunes, and was surprised to realize that I could pick things up. I tell you all that to tell you this... Jamming helped to improve my playing... a lot! And I believe, if you're willing to try, it will help your playing too. So... get out there, find a jam, or 2, or 3 and play! See what you can learn.

Ramblings of a Dulcimer nutTopic: New Club has formed!After several years managing this site I thought it was time to add a blog and make comments about the club, its events & happenings or whatever from time to time. I would also like club members and guests to make contributions which can be posted for anyone who might be interested...The dulcimer has been an integral part of my life for the past 13 years bringing joy and comfort, challenge and growth into my life and opening up a whole international community to me. The friendships made have been amazing and many of these musical folks I consider to be close friends.At our 8th annual Winter Dulcimer Fest this year I put out a sign up list for folks who might be interested in starting a new club in or near the Lehigh Valley. About 20 people signed up. After some initial encouragement a couple in Bucks County stepped forward and started to search for a place to meet. Since the majority of the folks interested in forming a new club lived south of the Valley the initial meeting took place in Quakertown at the First United Church of Christ 0n 4th Street. The first meeting took place on March 14th and about 38 people showed up - mountain dulcimer players, hammered dulcimer players and autoharp players. It was a great first meeting.

During the ensuing weeks several names were suggested for the group and the one that stuck was the "Quakertown Area Dulcimer and Autoharp Society" (QuADAS). The second meeting was also well attended on April 11th and on April 12th the church voted to allow the new club, QuADAS, to meet there. So a new club is born!! [For more information you can contact Obie & Bobbie @ obediahbreadboard@verizon.net

This is really exciting for us at the PDC because it is the first formal spinoff from the club and its activities over the past few years. To kick off their first year the QuADAS will be presenting Atwater-Donnelly on June 26th. (Aubrey Atwater was a featured MD performer/faculty at the PDC's Winter Dulcimer Fest in 2006) Aubrey and Elwood will present a workshop or two in the afternoon, joined by HD & Autoharp teachers, and a concert in the evening - watch for more details.

QuADAS meets the 2nd Sunday of the Month at First United Church of Christ, 151 South 4th Street, Quakertown, PA 18951 from 2 - 5PM. Contact Obie & Bobbie @ obediahbreadboard@verizon.net for information, directions, etc. The club is for Mountain & Hammered dulcimers and Autoharps.